Well casing control valve



April 18, 1939. R. w. MUELLER r-:T AL

WELL CASING CONTROL VALVE Filed Feb. 2, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet l en.; ATTORNEYS.

April 18, 1939. R. w. MUELLER ET AL WELL CASING CONTROL VALVE 3 Sheets-Sh'eei'l 2 Filed Feb. 2, 1957 INVENTORK MV1/.MM BY 17 J. 42ML MWI/mndwp au@ ATTORNEYS.

www. Mad/4m April 18, 1939 R. w. MUELLER ET Al. 2,154,955

WELLCASING CONTROL VALVE Filed Feb. 2, 1937 3 sheets-sheet s 11o i I 1.31

. i 12 i 1go fo I INVENTOR! W//SJZ'J 1 ML D) BY g e m ATTORNEY;

Patented Apr. 1s, 1939 UNITED vSTATES WELL CASENG CONTROL VALVE Richard W. Mueller and Guy F. Carle, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignors to Kerotest Manufacturing Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application February 2, 1937, Serial No. 123,616

3 Claims.

This invention relates to control means or valves for use with wells such as oil wells.

For many years the well industry and particularly the oil-well industry has employed means for sealing between an outer pipe or tubing such as normally cases the well and an inner pipe, as for example, a drill string or tubing of smaller diameter than the casing and passing .axially through the casing. Sealing means connected as described has a number of purposes but broadly provides the use of control methods whereby operations such as drilling, running tubing, washing the well outside and inside the inner pipe, setting packers, moving the drill string or tubing -into and out of a closed hole, and permanently hanging tubing are facilitated. Ordinarily the sealing means is placed on the well either before or during cementing and thereafter remains the controlling mechanism throughout the sequence of operations. In addition to the functions just described control means of the indicated character operate as blow-out preventers. In other Words, in order to prevent the drill string or tubing from being blown out of the well and to avoid loss of gas, oil or other substance activated by pressure, the control means is operated to seal between the outer pipe and the inner pipe.

Thecontrol means now in use in the welldrilling art and particularly in the oil fields are open to a number of objections. The standard type of means includes a housing adapted to be secured to the top of the oil-well casing or to an extension thereof, which housing is adapted to receive axially the inner drill string or tubing of less diameter than the casing. Mounted in the housing in horizontally positioned guideways are rams which are' provided with suitable packing means and completing the combination are means for moving the rams to and from sealing relationship with the inner drill string or tubing. In this type of control means the well may readily be sealed oi by moving the rams horizontally into engagement with the inner drill string or'tubing even though gas, oil, or other material under pressure of as much as several hundred pounds per square inch is constantly trying to escape conical surface of the surrounding housing and movable by suitable means toward the small end of the conical surface so as to force the rams against the inner drill string or tubing. So far and inwardly converging conical seat so that the rams in this type of sealing means are closed with the pressure in the well. Sealing means of this type are very easily closed, but with pressures of up to and over 3000 pounds per square inch in the well these sealing means are difficult to open without killing the well by pumping mud or sludge down into it to cut oi the pressures or in some manner equalizing the pressures above and below the seal.

In the operation of any control means or valve it is highly desirable and advantageous to be able to make changes in the size of the rams therein so that they can seal about an inner pipe of any particular size. While with the present equipment changes in ram size are made, it is recognized by those skilled in the artthat with known equipment it ordinarily takes a crew of several men a considerable period of time to eect a change in ram size without any pressure in the well. This is due to the fact that these control means or valves are relatively heavy, usually weighing 500 pounds and up, and because such control means are constructed in a manner making ram replacement diiiicult.

It is the general object of our invention to avoid and overcome the foregoing and other difficulties attending the construction and use ofv control means for wells by the provision of an improved means adapted to eiectively seal off between a well casing or an extension thereof and an inner ydrill string or tubing, and which can be readily operated to make or break the seal by comparatively little force regardless of the pressure in the well.

Another object of our invention is to provide a control means for use in earth drilling and adapted to provide a closed-hole seal between the outer pipe and an inner pipe, with the means including slip-like ram members which are suit-A ably packed and movable downwardly upon conical surfaces and against the ow of pressure in the well to elect the desired seating and which are movable with the well pressure'to break the seal.

Another object of our invention is to provide a master control means for oil wells and the like having packed slip-like rams for effecting the desired sealing action, which rams can be readily as we are aware, it has always been the practice v y to provide the housing with an upwardly inclined changed in a matter of a few minutes and with little labor so as to provide the proper sealing action between an outer pipe and an inner pipe of any particular size.

Another object of our invention is the provi sion of a master control means or Valve forwells, which means is readily adapted to combination with either an open or a closed-hole type of valve or blow-out preventer so that additional tubing, drill strings and the like can be passed through the valves so as to facilitate the carrying on of the drilling operation while the well is under pressure. We contemplate the use of one or more master control means, as herein described, positioned one about the other over the top of a well and likewise the use of an open-hole type control head -and packing assembly with a single master control means of the closed-hole type.

Another object of our invention is the provision of a master control means of the character indicated wherein the sealing members are adapted to be either indipendently or simultaneously actuated by hand and/or power means operable adjacent to or at a point remote from the control means.

The foregoing and other objects of our invention are achieved by a control means comprising a housing adapted to be secured over the top of a well with the housing having a downwardly and inwardly inclined substantially conical surface which slidably receives a plurality of packed sliplike rams each having segmental substantially conical surfaces. Mounted on the housing are means removably secured to the rams for moving them downwardly or upwardly upon the substantially conical surface of the housing to thereby clamp the rams around a drill string or the like extending upwardly through the housing and to tightly seal between the housing andthe drill string. The housing is provided with side plates ordinarily forming a part of the substantially conical surface thereof, which side plates are readily removable without disturbing the rammoving means to thereby facilitate changes of ram sizes. l

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation largely in vertical section of one form of valve embodying the principles of our invention; Fig. 2 is a view of Fig. 1 taken on line lI--II vof Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig'. 1 but of another form of valve constructed in accordance with the basic features of our inventior..

It should be appreciated that a master control means of the type herein discussed when constructed in accordance with tlie principles of our invention can take a plurality of forms and can be secured over the top of the well in a number of different ways and the control can be used with or without additional equipment of many kinds. However, in Figs. 1 and 2 we have illustrated one specific embodiment of a control means constructed in accordance with our invention, which control means will now be described in detail.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the numeral l indicates generally a housing provided with a vertical bore I2 and formed with suitable means at its top and bottom to facilitate securing the housing over the mouth of a well and to a Christmas tree or other apparatus at the top of the housing. In the form of the invention illustrated these means for securing the housing to the remainder of the well assembly comprise flanges I4 and I6 which are provided with suitable circumferentlally spaced bolt holes I8 and 20 whereby they may readily be secured to cooperating flanges. It should be understood here that the housing may be secured directly to the well casing by the flange I4, or that the lower end of the housing can even be appropriately threaded to be connected to the casing by a threaded sleeve. We contemplate making the housing I0 of any desired size, depending upon the size of the hole being drilled. 'I'he usual practice is to make the control means in several sizes adapted between them to handle the complete drilling of a well or any given condition or size requirements. The housing is connected to casing of various diameters by the use of appropriate iianges, couplers or fittings. -In addition, as is understood, the housing may be mounted over but connected to the topof the well with any of the usual or desired means positioned between the casing and the housing. l

The housing I0 is formed with a downwardly and inwardly inclined substantially conical seat or surface 22 which slidably receives a plurality, generally two, of slips or slip-like rams 24 having segmental substantially conical surfaces 26 slidably engaging with the surface 22. Each of the slips or rams 24 is provided with suitable packing so as to seal between the housing l0 and an inner drill string or tubing T'extending vertically up through the housing.l In the form of the invention shown each ram 24 includes packing 28 of half-ring shape which vis compressed by cap screws 30 between opposed ring-like portions 24a and 24h of each ram so that the edge of the packing is forced slightly beyond the metal parts of the rams in order to effect proper sealing. As clearly indicated in Fig. 1, the packing 28 engages around the tubing T and with the conical surface 22 of the housing i0 so that the plurality of rams when forced down to wedge between the housing and the tubing eifects a long-wearing and positive seal therebetween.

The means for operating the rams 24 may take a plurality of forms. In the apparatus illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 we have provided a stem 32 for operating each ram, which stem extends upwardly through a suitable opening in the housing at substantially the'same angle as the inclined conical surface 22 of the housing. The upper end of each stem 32 is threaded as at 34 and receives a nut 36 journaled in a yoke 38 having side supports 40 fastened to the housing as by cap screws 42. The nut 36 has a beveled gear 44 secured thereto at one end and a collar 46 fastened at its other end so that the nut is mounted for rotary but non-axial movement in the 'yoke 38. `A standard stuiiing box of any desired v type, and indicated as a whole by the numeral 50,

is provided on the housing lll around the stem 32 and effects the desired seal between the stem and the housing.

Each stem 32 while not rotatable is connected to its ram 24 with a readily releasableconnection. `In the embodiment of the invention illustrated this is achieved by forming the lower end of each stem 32 with a. -flange 52 which is received in a T-slot 54 formed in the top of each ram 24. Bythese means each ram 24 can be readily removed from the lower end of each stem 32 by slipping the ram off sideways from the end of the stem when the housing side plate is removed as hereinafter described. However, during the normal operation of the valve, movement of each stem 32 in and out of the threaded nut 36 causes each ram 24 to follow along with its stem.

An important part of our inventive concept is forming the housing I0 with removable side plates 66 which are normally tightly secured to the housing as by cap screws 62. Each side plate is provided'with a segmental substantially conical surface 64 which is in alignment with and provides an extension of the conical surface 22 formed on the housing proper. To prevent any possible rotary movement of each ram 24 and to further act as a guide and to achieve proper alignment suitable means are provided. These means obviously may take a plurality of forms, and in the form of the invention each side plate 50 is formed with one or more grooves 66 which extend upwardly of the conical surface 64 parallel to the stern 32. Slidably received in the grooves 66 are tongues 68 formed integral with the ram 24.

In order to rotate nuts 3E threaded on the threaded portions of the stems 32, we provide, in the embodiment of the invention illustrated, beveled gears 'l0 which cooperate with the beveled gears 44. As best shown in Fig. 2, each' beveled gear 'i0 is secured to a shaft 'l2 journaled in a suitable bracket 'M fastened to the housing I0 and extending laterally thereof. The shaft 'l2 is ordinarily provided with a hand-wheel 1B adjacent the end of the bracket v'14 whereby the shaft can be turned to turn they" nut 36 and thus raise and lower the stem 32 "parrying the ram 24. We contemplate extending the shaft l2. 'with or without the use of swivels to any point remote from the valve proper, as for example, to a point some distance from the mouth of the well, and have accordingly illustrated a hand-wheel 18 connected to the end of the shaft l2 which is broken to illustrate that the shaft may be of any desired length.

We particularly contemplate synchronizing the movements of each of the plurality of rams 24 in the control means. This is readily accomplished whereonly two rams are employed by providing an interconnecting chain 80 carried upon suitable sprockets fastened to the shafts l2. if more than two rams are used in the control means the chain may be replaced by a system of rods and universal joints as will be understood, although it should be appreciated that the use of two rams is ordinarily preferred.

It is believed that the operation of our improved control means will be evident from the foregoing description. However, briefly describing the operation of the'embodiment shown and above described, the housing I0 is secured directly or indirectly over the top of a well, as for example, when it becomes necessary to continue the drilling of the well under pressure or when the possibility that the well will come in is near. The upper end of the housing can be fastened to a Christmas tree assembly or any other known equipment as will be recognized. One or more control means can be mounted one above the other so that in drilling under pressure additional lengths of drill string with couplings of increased diameter can be passed down through or up through the plurality of control means by opening one'control means while the other is closed and then reversing the positions of the rams of the control means with an attendant axial movement of the string, all as will be well understood by those skilled in the art. The same operation can be achieved by the use of an openhole blow-out preventer in conjunction with the control means herein described and we contemplate mounting in the upper end of the housing I0 tapered seats for the reception of an open-hole valve blow-out preventer of known form. We may also include a tubing hanger with thecontrol means alone or in the combinations described.

The rams 24 can be moved by means of either the hand-wheels 'I6 or '|8 or by both to positions to seal between the housing I0 and the tubing T or to positions to open the bore I2 therebetween. When moved to sealing positions the rams 24 are moved against the pressure in the well. Ordinarily when this pressure is not allowed to build up as by sealing against it, it is relatively low and we have found that the rams can be readily moved into place by hand and with little eiort to achieve a tight and effective wedging seal. Moreover, in opening when the pressure in the well has built up below the rams 24 it is still an easy matter to back the rams 24 away to open up' the bore I2 since the pressure of the well on the rams assists their opening movement. With the rams in the open position the bore I2 of the housing is fully open to readily permit the passage of drilling tools, as casing or tubing strings, and the collars or coupling accessories thereto.

Ram changes are facilitated by merely moving the rams toward their open position by raising the stems 32 so as to bring each ram opposite a side plate 60. The side plates are readily removed by taking out cap screws 6 2 without disturbing the ram-operating mechanism, and once the side plates are removed each ram 22 can easily be slipped out of the opening in the housing. Since the T-slot 54 merely slips laterally over the flange 52 formed at the end of each stern, a ram of the proper size to seat about an inner pipe or tubing T of any particular size positioned in the housing can readily be substituted for the improper sized ram. The side plates can then be quickly replaced and the rams can be r'un down to sealing position. We have found that the whole operation takes only a very few minutes and little labor, whereas the former operation of changing ram sizes in known valve controls consumed hours and took a crew of men.

In the embodiment ofour invention shown in Fig. 3 we provide a housing |00 which may be formed with a threaded lower extremity |02 instead of a flange so as to adapt the housing to be secured to casing i234 or other means so as to position the housing over the top of a well. The upper end of the housing is illustrated as being formed with a tapered seat |06 which receives an open-hole valve or blow-out preventer of the split type, indicated generally at |08, and including packing |09 and locking screws I I0. The upper and outer end of the housing |00 is flanged as at I I I so that connection to any other desired 'associated apparatus may be readily accomplished. y A

The housing im! is formed with removable side plates I I2 fastened thereto as by screws H4. The housing |00 and side plates I I2 are formed with a downwardly inclined and inwardly converging conical surface IIB which slidably receives a plurality of packed rams H8 of a form generally similar to that described indetail above in conjunction with the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and adapted to close about a tube T. Each ram II8 is removably mounted on an operating stem |20 which extends up through a side plate H2 in a position substantially parallel to the conical surface ||6 receiving the rams. Each operating stem |20 is sealed with respect to the side plate 2 through which it extends by a suitable stufng box |22.

The stems |20 may be operated by any desired means as will be understood. We have, however, illustrated a combined hand and power-operating means which willnow be described. A yoke or bracket |22 secured to each side plate l |2 extends around each stem |20 and supports a fiuid pressure motor 24 including a piston |26 to which the'stem |20 i's secured. Conduits |28 extending to sources of fluid under pressure function to move the piston |26 and the ram operating stem |20 as desired. The fluid pressure motor |24 includes stuffing boxes |30 and 3| of any particular design or construction.

We contemplate incorporating hand means for operating each stem |20 in addition to the fluid pressure motor |24. To this end the upper end of the stem |20 is appropriately threaded and receives a nut |34 to which is slidably keyed a hand-wheel |36 positioned between a yoke |38 and a collar fastened to the end of the nut |34. The yoke |38 journals the nut |34 and is provided with legs |42 secured to the fluid pressure motor |24.

The operation of this embodiment of our invention is substantially the same as .that described at some length above, but in the formpf the invention shown in Fig. 3 the side plates II2 when removed likewise remove the means for operating the rams ||8. This adds somewhat to the weight of the parts removed and is ordinarily not the preferred construction. Furthermore, in the apparatus of Fig. 3 the rams I8 can be operated by either the uid pressure motors |24 or by hand-wheels |36. In .the use of the'hand-wheels |36 to close the control means, turning a wheel in one direction causes the nut |34 to run out wardly upon the stem |20 until the enlarged end of the nut engages with the bottom of the yoke |38, whereupon further movement of the handwheel causes the associated stem |20 to be lowered to close the rams about the tubeT. Rotation of the hand-wheel |36 in the opposite direction causes collar |40 to engage with the hand-wheel and through it to the yoke |38 to thereby break or open the control means and move the rams I8 and stems |20 upwardly. When the fluid pressure motors |24 are operated independently of the hand-wheels the distance between the enlarged lower end of each nut |34 and its associated yoke |38 is slightly greater than the stroke of each piston |26 so that independent and synchronized operation of the control means by the fluid pressure motors without disturbing the hand-operating means can be achieved.

By the use of apparatus such as heretofore indicated, we contemplate synchronizing the operation of the hand-wheels |36 or the fluid pressure motors |24, and further we may provide means for achieving the desired operation of the control means at a point remote from the top of the well. In addition, we contemplate eliminating hand-operating means and employing fluid pressure operating means ronly for the con'A w ltrol means, and it should be understood that fluid pressure means can be used alone or in conjunction with hand-operating means for the control means illustrated in Figs. l and 2 of the drawings and above described.

In the operation of either form of our invention described we contemplate the use thereof to seal off an outer pipe or casing alone, that is, where no inner pipe or tubing extends axially therethrough. When a sealing operation of this type is desired theillustrated rams are replaced with rams not having an axial opening and theA rams engage and seal with1 each other to completely close the passage.

From the foregoing it will be recognized that we have provided an improved master control means for well-drilling apparatus wherein ram changes are facilitated, and which can be readily operated to make or break a desired seal regardless of the pressure in the well. Our improved control means is long-wearing, relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and is practical and` efficient. Oil-well production is speeded up and objectionable -delays are avoided.A The control means particularly adapts itself to combinations with open-hole-valves or blow-out preventers or to use with superimposed closed-hole control means and permits continued work upon a well under pressure.

The terms conical surface orv substantially conical surfaceas employed in the specification and claims are intended to define broadly an inclined or wedging surface and more specifically a conical surface whether or not that surface is circular, elliptical or polygonal in horizontal section.

While in accordance with th patent statutes two embodiments of our invention have been illustrated and described in detail, it should be appreciated that our invention is not limited thereto or thereby but is defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A control means for oil wells and the like comprising a housing adapted to be secured to the well casing, said housing having a downwardly and inwardly inclined substantially conical surface, a plurality of packed rams each having segmental substantially conicalsurfaces slidably received on the substantially conical surface of the housing, means removably secured to the rams for simultaneously moving them downwardly on the inclined substantially conical surface of the housing to clamp the rams around a drill string or the like extending upwardly through the housing and to tightly seal between the housing and the drill string, and side plates on the housingand-forming a part of the substantially conical surface thereof which are readily removable to facilitate changes of ram sizes.

2. A control means for oil wells and the like comprising a housing adapted to be secured over the mouth of a well, said housing having an inclined substantially conical surface, a plurality of packed rams each having segmentalsubstantially conical surfaces slidably received on the substantially conical surface of theV housing, means removably secured to the rams for simultaneously moving them on the inclined substantially conical surface of the housing to clamp the rams together around a drill string or the like` extending upwardly through the housing and to tightly seal between the housing and the drill string, and side plates on the housing and forming a part of the substantially conical surface thereof which are readily removable without disturbing the ram-moving means to facilitate changes of ram sizes.

3. In apparatus of the type described the combination of a housing adapted to receive a drill string or the like, rams movably mounted in the housing, means for moving the rams in the housing to seal between the housing and the drill string, and removable side plates on the housing slidably supporting the rams and covering open-...

ings in the housing through which the rams can be removed.

GUY F. CARLE. RICHARD W. MUELLER. 

